RoadVitals

2011 Volkswagen Jetta Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
8
Latest Aug 10, 2011
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
1%
of 606 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
1

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2011 Volkswagen Jetta submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 8 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Transmission
Filed Aug 10, 2011

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION HAS EXTREME HESITATION WHEN ACCELERATING FROM SLOW SPEED SUCH AS MERGING WITH TRAFFIC. DEALER SAYS THIS IS NORMAL AND FINDS NO FAULT WITH THE POWER TRAIN. WHEN ACCELERATING THE CAR WILL VITALLY STALL WITH ZERO FORWARD MOVEMENT, THEN IT WILL FINALLY ENGAGE AND LUNGE THE CAR FORWARD VERY ABRUPTLY. HAVE HAD THREE VERY CLOSE CALLS AND THIS WILL RESULT IN ACCIDENTS IN THE FUTURE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10418353
Incident
Jul 15, 2011
Mileage
2,054 mi
Transmission
Filed Jul 27, 2011
Crash reported1 injury reported

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE GEAR SHIFTER INDEPENDENTLY SHIFTED FROM PARK INTO REVERSE WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE THEN BEGAN TO REVERSE UNCONTROLLABLY AND CRASHED INTO A SMALL PATIO BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE CONTACT THEN JUMPED FROM THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW AND SUSTAINED INJURY. A RELATIVE THEN JUMPED INTO THE VEHICLE WHILE STILL IN MOTION TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. THE RELATIVE WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHILE ON A RESIDENTIAL PATIO. THE CONTACT WAS HOSPITALIZED AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT DID NOT NOTIFY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWAITING A RESPONSE FROM THE CONTACT REGARDING THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,000.

NHTSA ID
10415394
Incident
May 28, 2011
Mileage
4,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jun 10, 2011

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA SPORTSWAGEN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH FROM A COMPLETE STOP THE TRANSMISSION EXHIBITED A DELAYED RESPONSE AND BEGAN SLIPPING INTO A HIGHER GEAR WITH HESITATION. THE FAILURE OCCURRED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200. UPDATED 07/21/11 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN TAKING OFF FROM A STOP, IT FELT AS THOUGHT HE VEHICLE SHIFTED TO A HIGHER GEAR. THE CONSUMER HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 08/18/11

NHTSA ID
10405912
Incident
May 15, 2011
Mileage
200 mi
Transmission
Filed May 23, 2011

SEVERAL TIMES SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE (2 WEEKS), IT HAS STALLED WHEN TAKING OFF. THIS HAS HAPPENED WITH EVERY PERSON WHO HAS DRIVEN THE CAR, EVEN VERY EXPERIENCED DRIVERS WITH MANUAL TRANSMISSION. LATEST INCIDENT WAS PULLING OUT FROM A SIDE STREET AND THE CAR STALLED, CAUSING A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. *TR

NHTSA ID
10402483
Incident
May 22, 2011
Mileage
650 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 24, 2011

2011 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA TDI STALLS IN TRAFFIC. IT WILL START AFTER STALL BUT IT WILL NOT MOVE IN ANY GEAR. AUTO TRANSMISSION. THE CAR STALLED FOR THE FIRST TIME AT ONLY 175 MILES. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND FIXED? CAR STALLED THE SECOND TIME IN TRAFFIC AT 230 MILES. IT'S NOW BACK AT THE DEALER AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10397239
Incident
Apr 20, 2011
Mileage
175 mi
Transmission
Filed Apr 11, 2011

WHILE DRIVING THE CAR WITH THE DSG TRANSMISSION IN MANUAL SHIFT (TIPTRONIC) MODE, THE CAR IS SUPPOSED TO DOWNSHIFT AUTOMATICALLY AS THE CAR SLOWS DOWN. I HAVE HAD 2 INSTANCES WHEN THE CAR WOULD SLOW DOWN, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD DOWNSHIFT (AS IT SHOULD) TO 4TH GEAR AND THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER MULTI-FUNCTION DISPLAY INDICATES 4TH GEAR BUT WHEN I ACCELERATE TO GET THE CAR MOVING AGAIN, THE CAR FEELS LIKE IT IS STUCK IN NEUTRAL, I.E., THE ENGINE REVS BUT THE MOMENTUM DOES NOT INCREASE. SOLUTION: I HAVE FOUND THAT MANUALLY PUSHING THE SHIFTER LEVER DOWN TO SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR ENGAGES 3RD GEAR AND GETS THE CAR GOING AGAIN. *TR

NHTSA ID
10395460
Incident
Apr 9, 2011
Mileage
970 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 4, 2011

WHILE ACCELERATING NORMALLY FROM A STOP SIGN IN SPORT MODE (SPORT MODE FOR RESPONSIVENESS, NOT A DRAG RACE), THE CAR JERKED WHILE SHIFTING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR. IT WAS A HALF SECOND HESITATION BUT NOTICEABLY LOST POWER AND RECOVERED BUT NOTICEABLE ENOUGH FOR ME TO REPORT IT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10374089
Incident
Jan 3, 2011
Mileage
3,300 mi
Transmission
Filed Nov 3, 2010

TWICE THE CAR GOES INTO REVERSE IN ALL SIX GEARS. IT HAPPENS WHEN I TRY TO COME OUT OF A FULL STOP. IT HAPPENS ON FLAT GROUND. THE FIRST TIME IT SEEMED TO FIX ITSELF AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES OF MY FIDDLING, BUT I CAN'T SEE WHAT I DID TO MAKE IT WORK. I HAD STOPPED QUITE A FEW TIMES BETWEEN ONE TIME AND ANOTHER AND IT WORKED PERFECTLY WELL. THE TIME BETWEEN THE FIRST INCIDENT AND THE SECOND WAS 13 DAYS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10363830
Incident
Nov 2, 2010
Mileage
900 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .